A Positive C-Section Story
My second daughter was born in June as a planned C-section. Although I’d already had a C-section with my first daughter (unplanned) and knew generally what to expect, I was shaking-in-my-boots nervous about this one.
I spent hours – and I mean hours – online, reading as many stories as I could about people’s experiences with planned C-sections. I simply could not get enough. But the more I read, the more nervous I got, and as my due date crept closer, I started looking in particular for positive C-section stories.
Now that I’m 5 months postpartum, I feel like I can finally pull myself together enough to share my own positive experience.
I’m not a medical professional, and experiences may vary. This was just my personal experience with a planned C-section. And while it wasn’t easy, the experience was night and day when compared to my unplanned C-section three years ago. Hopefully I can put another mom’s mind at ease and show that a C-section birth can be magical, too!
The night before my planned C-section
My stomach was in my throat this entire day, so details are fuzzy. But basically, I took a shower, dried my hair and double-checked my hospital bag. Then I followed my doctor’s instructions and scrubbed every inch of my body with a special soap. (Different offices may approach this differently, so I won’t give too many specifics.)
Then I got into bed and slept a grand total of 30 minutes, just waiting for our 4 a.m. alarm to go off. If I could go back and give myself any advice, it would be to “Put your phone down!” Like I said, I couldn’t get enough of Googling C-section stories – and over-educating is how I deal with anxiety – but in retrospect, welcoming a newborn on 30 minutes of sleep wasn’t the best idea.
The morning before my planned C-section (at home)
Our 4 a.m. alarm went off, but no worries – I was already up. I followed my doctor’s instructions again on the special soap, straightened my hair and put on a comfy outfit for the hospital. I wasn’t allowed to eat anything, but I wasn’t hungry anyway – which surprised me: I wake up hungry when I’m not pregnant, so skipping breakfast is never an option during pregnancy. But I think the nerves overpowered my appetite.
While my husband packed the car, I gave my oldest daughter a kiss. This was such an emotional moment, it still brings tears to my eyes. She’s still my baby, and always will be, but I couldn’t believe this was the last time I’d kiss her as my only baby. So many emotions!
As we drove to the hospital, we chatted and listened to soft music, and I drank an apple juice per my doctor’s instructions. (Again, advice may vary.)
The morning before my planned C-section (at the hospital)
Since my first was a scheduled induction-turned-Caesarean and my second was a scheduled C-section, I only have experience arriving to the hospital for a planned delivery. But I’d have to imagine arriving for a scheduled delivery can feel much more relaxed than arriving in active labor – at least it was relaxed for me (minus my own internal nerves).
Once we got settled into our room, all that was left to do was wait and get ready to meet our baby! The anticipation was real, but thankfully I had amazing nurses to distract me. We had a couple of good laughs – like when I put on my hospital gown and was having a serious conversation with the nurse – with my nipples poking out of the breastfeeding holes and NO ONE TOLD ME.
A less funny moment was when I almost fainted when they inserted my IV. The good news is this is pretty much the worst part of my story. Like I said, I never skip breakfast – combine that with low blood pressure and my fear of needles … it was a disaster waiting to happen. I started getting really hot and sweaty, then my vision got spotty, and it all happened pretty fast. The nurses elevated my feet and walked me through deep breaths, while my husband patted my face with a cool cloth. I quickly recovered and was able to laugh at the fact that, there I was, about to get multiple layers of skin cut through, fainting at the sight of a needle. (Not so funny was that the sweat ruined my hair. So much for looking cute for pics!)
Before we knew it, it was time to walk to the operating room.
C-section time!
As I padded to the operating room, anxiety was at an all-time high. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience and was just putting one foot in front of the other. If they’d offered to let my baby live in my body indefinitely, I probably would’ve agreed at this point. But alas, she had to come out.
In all my C-section research, I’d seen countless people call their anesthesia team angels, and I’d have to agree. Not only did my anesthesiologist place my spinal perfectly (and I have a slight curve), but they were my sources of comfort throughout the procedure. Whenever something felt off, I’d let them know, and they’d either reassure me it was normal, hold my hand or provide something to help me feel better. Before the procedure, I’d been so nervous I’d feel nauseated or get sick – and unfortunately, I did. But they stepped in so quickly, it was like it never happened – they also remembered that I’m allergic to Zofran and were able to give me something else that took all the nausea away within minutes.
In addition to my anesthesia team, I had comfort in knowing the OB performing the procedure was the same doctor who delivered my first. Only what a different experience it was this time because, even though I’d had a sleepless night, I had way more energy than I’d had after hours and hours of labor and pushing. (My care team actually told me this is a big reason why recovering from a planned C-section is often easier than an unplanned one. When you labor and push, then have a C-section, it can be more for your body to recover from.)
Anyway, my doctors and supportive husband made a big difference in keeping me comfortable during the procedure, but nothing compared to this: In the weeks leading up to my C-section, I’d made a playlist of songs I wanted to hear when I welcomed my baby. I completely forgot about this until my husband brought it up at the start of the procedure. Without missing a beat, my nurse anesthetist asked what was on my playlist, and within seconds, James Taylor’s voice rang through the room.
My eyes filled with tears. I didn’t believe a C-section could be a magical moment, but once I heard James Taylor playing, and realized how relaxed I felt on the table, and how much I trusted everyone in the room, all the nerves that had been building for weeks seemed to dissolve.
I finally felt like I could focus on just meeting my baby.
In what seemed like the snap of my fingers, and after just a little tugging, our baby was lifted over the curtain and brought to me for a quick kiss. I felt so euphoric, the rest of the procedure flew by as we all chatted and admired our beautiful little girl.
Recovery (in the hospital)
After my C-section, I was wheeled to a small area outside the OR for some observation before going back to my room. I was still euphoric from meeting my baby, knowing the surgery had gone well and probably – if we’re being honest – from the meds that I became VERY chatty with the poor nurse who was stuck with me. I’m sure she was grateful when it was time to wheel me back to my room.
Over the next few hours, the feeling started coming back to my legs – and my appetite came back, too! I nibbled on graham crackers and sipped on water, and later that day, our hospital even gave us a steak dinner to celebrate.
Unfortunately, while I was sent to recovery, my baby was sent to the NICU for some additional monitoring, so that’s where my husband was. The good news is that she was totally fine – she just needed a little bit of extra support before she could come to our room. Something similar had happened after our first daughter was born, so we knew a little bit what to expect here.
As soon as I was able to get out of bed, we went back and forth to the NICU to spend time with her, until she was cleared to come to our room the following morning. But I’m not going to lie: That first night without her was rough. Not only did I feel the guilt of being in our room without my new baby, I also felt guilty that my first baby was at home without me.
So while I could’ve been using that time to rest and recover, I instead spent it sobbing and scaring my husband. Thank you, hormones. On top of that, the meds were wearing off and the soreness began to set in.
The rest of our stay went without a hiccup. Well, almost … I was having trouble peeing after the catheter was removed, and our nurse gave me a deadline for when they’d have to place another one. In a race against the clock, I chugged water, turned the sink on, walked around, blew on a straw, did everything I could think of. And I’m proud to report I didn’t need another catheter. Apparently this can be a pretty common experience, which I didn’t realize, so I’m sharing to help prepare someone else just in case.
Two days later, it was time to go home, and we left the hospital with our arms and hearts a little fuller than when we arrived.
Recovery (at home)
Coming home – and seeing our first daughter meet her baby sister – was everything I wanted it to be and more. I was fighting back happy tears that entire first day.
But I won’t sugarcoat it: C-section recovery is painful. Moving, bending, laughing, sneezing. It all hurts, and got worse for me when I got home, which is why I spent most of my time just letting my body rest. I was very lucky that my pain was managed with over-the-counter medications and ice packs, but I know that’s not the case for everyone.
Outside of the pain and fluctuating hormones, the hardest part of recovery was not being able to hold my toddler. Though I’d tried to prepare her, she just couldn’t understand why Mommy could hold the baby but not her. Oof. That was tough, but we got through it with lots of couch cuddles and as much one-on-one time as possible.
With my doctor’s OK and encouragement, I tried to practice gentle movements as soon as I felt ready. The first week, caring for a newborn and toddler was plenty of movement, along with light stretches. Within a couple of weeks, I was going for short, slow walks – like very short, very slow in a cul de sac. Each week, I’d try to walk a little more, but only if it felt OK. If anything hurt or felt off, I immediately stopped and took a few days of rest. I wasn’t trying to exercise so much as I just wanted to help my body recover safely – I’d heard gentle movement can help prevent clots and get things, uh, “moving” (IYKYK after a C-section), so thought I’d give it a try.
FWIW, I do think it helped – and getting outside did wonders for my mental health, too. I spent a lot of time sitting in a dark living room after my first daughter was born and struggled with PPA. I think moving and sunlight helped me manage things a little bit better this time around.
Each week, I got a little less sore. And today, if it weren’t for my scar, I’d barely know I had major surgery just a few months ago. It blows my mind when I think about it, to be honest.
Anyway, that was much longer than I meant for it to be! I know childbirth can be unpredictable and that not every experience is as positive or smooth as this was (my first C-section definitely was not!) But I hope I can give someone else peace of mind as they prepare for their C-section.
